The present disclosure relates generally to communications systems, and more particularly, to techniques for providing network access.
Wireless communication systems are widely deployed to provide various telecommunication services such as telephony, video, data, messaging, and broadcasts. Typical wireless communication systems may employ multiple-access technologies capable of supporting communication with multiple users by sharing available system resources. Examples of such multiple-access technologies include code division multiple access (CDMA) systems, time division multiple access (TDMA) systems, frequency division multiple access (FDMA) systems, orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) systems, single-carrier frequency division multiple access (SC-FDMA) systems, and time division synchronous code division multiple access (TD-SCDMA) systems.
These multiple access technologies have been adopted in various telecommunication standards to provide a common protocol that enables different wireless devices to communicate on a municipal, national, regional, and even global level. An example telecommunication standard is Long Term Evolution (LTE). LTE is a set of enhancements to the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) mobile standard promulgated by Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). LTE is designed to support mobile broadband access through improved spectral efficiency, lowered costs, and improved services using OFDMA on the downlink, SC-FDMA on the uplink, and multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antenna technology. However, as the demand for mobile broadband access continues to increase, there exists a need for further improvements in LTE technology. These improvements may also be applicable to other multi-access technologies and the telecommunication standards that employ these technologies.
In one example, 5G networks or systems (i.e., 5th generation mobile networks or wireless systems) are being developed to provide better capabilities, including faster speeds and new use case scenarios (e.g., support for Internet-of-Things or IoT deployments), than the capabilities supported by networks implemented using current standards (e.g., 3G/4G). These newer networks or systems may need to provide improvements in wireless standards and technologies to enable novel business or operating models that are currently not feasible.
For instance, subscribers of a network operator may be provided network access over wireless spectrum and network infrastructure owned by the network operator. In some instances, the network operator may lease network resources or assets, to a third-party operator, such as a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), which has a group of subscribers but does not own its own wireless spectrum or network infrastructure. New arrangements and techniques may be needed, however, to enable more flexible network access configurations in which different operators provide access to different resources or assets (e.g., wireless spectrum and/or network infrastructure) such that subscribers can have seamless and/or cost-effective service as they move about geographic regions, participate in various activities, or attend different types of events, venues, or establishments.